You just scheduled your bunion surgery with northwestsurgerycenter.com and a feeling of anxiety washes over you. While it will be a relatively painless procedure, you can’t help but feel uneasy about it.
Anxiety is incredibly common. We are offering 5 natural ways to ease anxiety!
Spend Time Outside
Spending time outside is the perfect cure for when you’re feeling anxious. Researchers found that spending time in nature reduces stress almost immediately. We will stick with the experts on this one.
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The great thing about nature being a way to reduce anxiety is that it is always available to you. During the winter months, it’s hard to want to step outdoors. Yet, even if you spend just a few minutes a day breathing in the fresh air, it will be a great way to calm your nerves down.
Connect with Others
Isolation can cause unpleasant feelings like anxiety and depression. While some alone time is perfectly healthy, you want to make sure that you’re spending quality time with family and friends as well.
If you aren’t able to physically visit those you love the most, consider a weekly call or facetime. You’re sure to feel a little less anxious after a pleasant conversation with someone who is near and dear to your heart. It’s important to stay connected if you’re struggling with anxiety.
Go for a Walk
Exercise releases endorphins which lead to an increase in happiness and overall well-being. What better way to get some of those happy hormones than to go outside for a walk?
Walking can help to clear your mind while also keeping your body healthy. It’s important to stay focused on what’s around you when walking. What are you picking up with your senses? Regular walks can help to ground you, in a sense. Additionally, walks are completely free!
If you’re feeling a little anxious, put on your shoes, and head outside for a quick stroll to calm your mind and your worries.
Easy Reading
It may be tempting to reach for our phones when we feel overwhelmed, but you should really consider picking up a book instead. In small doses, social media is fine, but if you find that you’re using it as a distraction more often than not – it can become quite toxic.
Reading allows you some peace and solitude. You can choose fictional books if you want to immerse yourself in a faraway land. Or you can consider some nonfiction books that are catered towards inner healing. There are plenty of self-help books that can help calm your anxieties. Most of them also offer effective techniques to help cope with your worries and fears.
Meditation
Meditating is a great practice if you find yourself constantly feeling anxious. Mindfulness meditation is all about focusing on the present moment. This helps with anxiety, as most of our anxious thoughts come from living in the past or worrying about the future.
Allowing yourself to become present through meditation is a quick way to calm you down. There are numerous guided meditation practices available if you’re not sure where to start.
